Morning Joe! 4 to 5 Key Additions
by doctork44 on Jan 31, 2012 9:26 AM EST
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Good morning Bills Fan,
Tuesday's are always the toughest day of the week for me. Hopefully, this Morning Joe can get me off on the right foot.
Today's Joe will be about the 4 to 5 key additions that the Bills can and should make this offseason. Yes, I narrowed it down to ONLY 4 to 5 :). This is year 3 of the Nix/Gailey regime and whether you will like to admit it or not, this is truly a make or break year for the pair. I really don't believe that this regime can afford to have another losing season and fail to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. We've seen GM's and coaches get fired for a lot less, just look at KC.
So what will happen if with we make these 4 to 5 key additions?
- Gailey and Nix keeps their job
- Fitzpatrick keep his job
- We make the playoffs and possibly beyond
- We attract potential Free Agents in the future
- Easier to keep upcoming FA's
- We show up for games
- Optimistic Fanbase
Now would you believe me Bills fans if I was to tell you that we are only 4 to 5 additions away to get over the proverbial "hump"? Probably not, because a lot of has grown to be rather pessimistic over the years, and for great reason. But these key additions will defintely proove to you that we are trying to improve and we are on the cusp of greatness, which is something that this fanbase and the city can tolerate.
Okay, so lets see what these additions are:
Disclaimer: This analysis is based off the idea that the Bills can stay reasonably healthy throughout the season. Obviously, if we lose key guys for the season then this changes a lot of things, but nonetheless it's something us fan can hang our hat on at the end of the day.
- Sign Mario Wiliams- Guys, its simply put up or shut up for this regime. There is a really good chance that Mario becomes a FA this year. The Texans was a top ranked D last year without him, and resigning him will be too expensive for them. Even the idea of franchising him and then trading him could be a trick proposition for the Texans. We have the money to spend on this guy, I suggest we do it
- Sign DeSean Jackson- This is the type of speed guy that our "new" WR coach Bob Bicknell was talking about yesteray during his interview. I know some of us would prefer Bowe or Jackson, but I just don't see any of those teams let their best weapon leave the city. Jackson on the other hand has worn out his welcome in Philly. The Eagles is willing to pay him the money he's asking for. I also think he's a better fit to our offense then any of the FA's out there. He can line up both inside and outside and will allow else to continue develop Jones and Easley. Jackson will also be cheaper to sign then Bowe and Jackson.
- Draft our Franchise LT- With two of major holes filled, we should draft the best LT prospect available. This draft is flooded with great yourng LT's and the staff will have it's pick of a Day 1 starter.
- Sign or Draft a CB- With the emergence of some of the young CB's we can surely use a veteran CB. Flo, McGee, and Leodis can easily be replaced. I'm open to drafting the best CB availble in the 2nd round this year, because they will be cheaper. But if you rather take a veteran CB, here is the list of the best available CB that might hit free agency. If we address CB in free agency, we can draft the best pass rushing DE.
- Resigning of Stevie Johnson- I didn't know if I should count this as an addition, but resigning Stevie will be the most important offseason move. Letting him walk will furstrate this fanbase, leaving Nix and Gailey with no friends.
Now Bills fan, I know the chances of all of this happening is slim to none. Mainly due to the inepitude of our front office and overall bad luck. For the life of me, I will never understood why our front office won't make moves like this considering the posssible outcomes listed above. You might not agree with the players I want or the overall way in which I want to acquire them, but for the most part we all would agree that we need an upgrade at DE/OLB, WR, LT, and CB.
Will our front office get this right?
Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.
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Hey guys
Sorry for the format. It wasn’t like that when I published it. For some reason its been acting crazy.
Jackson will also be cheaper to sign then Bowe and Jackson.
Not so sure that this is true. If he is, Jackson will not come that much cheaper. He adds extra value as a feared punt returner so while I will like to see V-Jax in a Bills uni, I’m not opposed to D-Jax. I just don’t see OBD going after him. They want the big receiver.
Mario Williams would be a dream come true for our D, thinking the 4-3 could help lure him in.
"Sit down and watch my Buffalo Bills destroy your Kingdome" - Abayarde
Chris Kelsay is a good football player.
I considered this
but I figured that D Jax value is lower sense the way he played last year can turn a lot of teams off. Jax has been waiting for his big pay day, and with his size and speed will make a hot commodity in the off season.
I think Nix & Gailey feel like they have that “Big” WR on the roster with Easely and I see them possibly drafting another big receiver like Quick from Applachain State.
I really don’t see Nix & Gailey passing up the big time play maker in D Jax (if available)…But I can be wrong. Whatever route they go, this position has to be addressed.
You are correct
This position needs addressed asap. Especially with the offense we run. I really hope Easely pans out, he does have health issues. Would like to see Nelson take a step forward. I’m not sold on Donald Jones, Derek Hagan showed me more. Hopefully Stevie gets re signed before he hits the open market!
"Sit down and watch my Buffalo Bills destroy your Kingdome" - Abayarde
Chris Kelsay is a good football player.
by nickdaniels on Jan 31, 2012 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
Super Mario
sign him and keep Stevie, and i will be ver very happy for sure. I’d rather have Lee Evans back than desean jackson. If we are able to sign Mario Williams, maybe we can draft Jeffery or Floyd at 10.
by Fernando brazil on Jan 31, 2012 10:03 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
High hopes
I see at the most 2 of these things happening, and neither of those 2 are signing big name free agents. OBD just doesn’t do it, Nix just doesn’t do it. I think that we get two of your bottom three wishes. I would prefer all three, but I’m skeptical that the Stevie deal gets done.
Argh, this franchise is infuriating some times. I have no hope.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
So why do you think OBD won't do these things
Presumably, this may be what ultimately keep their jobs. Not sure why “all hands aren’t on deck” right now. This is it for me, patience is not a virtue I have right now. We ALL have been patient for 13 years now. I will be calling for their heads if we fail to make the playoffs this year.
I will look back at this week (changing back to a 4-3) and this offseason to justify my feelings. If Stevie don’t get signed and we don’t adequately address our pass rushing D and our WR position, then they ought to be fired
I’m pretty sure we have ALOT of cap room and we are another year closer to the league mandated cap floor. This is money that has to be spent, I could easily see OBD making a splash in free agency this year.
"Sit down and watch my Buffalo Bills destroy your Kingdome" - Abayarde
Chris Kelsay is a good football player.
by nickdaniels on Jan 31, 2012 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
I'll sure hope so
even if we can’t land them (for reasons out of our control), I would at least like for us to make an effort.
Because Nix has said over and over that he won’t bring in big FA signings. They’ll definitely go after some players hard in FA, but I doubt it’s the top-tier guys you mentioned above. Don’t get me wrong, Mario Williams on this line would instantly put us in the conversation for best DL in the NFL, but I can’t see it happening. I don’t think we’ll give him enough to overcome the stigma about Buffalo.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
My Wish List
I doubt Mario reaches the market
Guys that I think we could target are:
Cliff Avril (DE) can’t see Detroit sinking that much money in their front 4
Lawrence Timmons as (OLB) I’ll admit the odds are slim that he’s hit the market
Jarvis Moss (DE) this guy is a pure 4-3 DE but has been bounced around as a 3-4 LB which didn’t work. At 6’7" 260 he’s very athletic and could finally develop into the type of DE we need. He also would be on the cheaper side of the equation.
D’Quell Jax (OLB)
Rebuilding a team properly takes time and patience
I think he definitely will.
I doubt Mario reaches the market
The Texans D was fine without him, the price to re-sign him will be steep. I see this as Julius Peppers all over again. Except Carolina franchise Peppers because they wouldn’t be fine without him for a couple years, once they were fine, they let him hit the market.
I just don’t think the Bills would commit that kind of money to one player, though I think it would be a great signing.
Girls use hair spray, Men don't.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GROW UP BY NOT USING HAIRSPRAY MALES!
Don't be a Paully!
by The Buffalo Kid on Feb 1, 2012 4:28 AM EST up reply actions
We won't have the cap space to sign
Jackson, Johnson and Williams. If we can re sign Stevie, pick up Super Mario or Avril that would be awesome. then in the draft go:
1. LT- Jonathan Martin
2. OLB- Zack Brown
3. CB
4. WR
4b. QB Osweiler
5. DE
6. WR
6b. FS
7. C-just to get someone else in camp who can snap the ball.
With the 10th Pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills select Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama.
This is year 3 of the Nix/Gailey regime and whether you will like to admit it or not, this is truly a make or break year for the pair.
I strongly disagree with you on that. Look at the teams that switch coaches every year, cough cough Oakland Raiders, or three years. I dare you to put up the records of the teams that do switch coaches that often. Seriously. Put up their records before and after the change. I would suspect that the organizations that do that don’t have a lot of success at all. I think Gailey and Nix have changed enough for the better to get more than three seasons. They have improved the QB position. They have improved the O-line—-and most were castoffs or on someone’s practice squad. They have found a competent TE in a similar fashion. At the end of the 2010 season, a lot of us thought that they found a decent group of wide receivers through undrafted free agency. Things have gotten better since they have gotten here. Do they need to win more? Absolutely. But I think that they need to be given more than three years to continue to build the roster and that they have earned that extra time.
by AP22 on Jan 31, 2012 9:41 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
rec'd
very well stated AP22. They have done a lot of right things. The offense is much better. The defense has a core of good young talent that have the potential to be very good. I see a team on the rise. I see a shot at the playoffs this year. I think the biggest thing stopping them from being a playoff team is injuries. If they can control the injury bug somehow, and have a decent draft, I see playoffs. They have an “easy” schedule this year.
They can beat Seattle, St. Louis, Arizona, Indy, Jacksonville, KC, Cleveland, and have a shot against Tenn (if they don’t resign Hasselbeck).
Put up their records before and after the change. I would suspect that the organizations that do, don’t have a lot of success at all.
There’s kind of a cause and effect problem there. Obviously, the organizations with coaching stability have more success than those that don’t. But is it because of the stability or do teams that have success not fire coaches and teams that experience failure fire their coaches?
Honestly, it depends on how Buffalo’s season goes this year (hence the notion of make or break) because find me a head coach that went below .500 for three straight years and then went on to turn his team around and make good on that extra season. Historically, it’s actually a very poor decision to stick with a coach for a fourth season when he’s still not producing which is exactly why it’s kind of become a three years and fired league.
Here is the list of head coaches who were hired to be the fourth coach in 10 years:
Ken Whisenhunt (One SB appearance, .500 in an admittedly crap division)
Mike Smith (43-21 in Atlanta in what looked like an impossible situation in the wake of the Vick dogfighting thing)
Chan Gailey
Pat Shurmur (4-12 in his first season in Cleveland)
Jason Garrett (disappointing 8-8 in first full season, on the list because Parcells left)
Jim Schwartz (first double digit win season for Lions since 1995, maybe they should have just stuck with Steve Mariucci, the coach with a track record who did better than the guy before)
Romeo Crennell (did KC give up Haley too soon? I think Dick Vermeil retired, so they’ve only fired two coaches in the last decade to hire Crennell)
Joe Philbin (Miami just fired a decent coach and it does feel like they’re just spinning their tires, at least considering the QBs they’ve had since Marino)
Bill Belichick (probably not a bad idea to fire solid Pete Carroll and hire the hoodie)
Rex Ryan (another guy who is on the list because Parcells up and left his team. Al Groh went 9-7 and left to coach at Virginia as well, if memory serves)
Who is coaching the Raiders now? Either way, laughable organization over the last decade
Norv Turner (crazy that they moved on from Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season to hire Norv freaking Turner)
Jim Harbaugh (Mike Singletary showed some promise, but not enough)
Jeff Fisher (maybe some stability for STL after a couple failed coaches, should they have stuck with Mike Martz?)
Mike Shanahan (Washington seems like another classic over-reactor)
It’s really not a bad list. Remember that every coach in the league has his job because the guy before got fired.
"You mean @TWHITNER. It’s how he prefers to be referenced." - Jon Harrington
HAHAHAHA
Norv Turner (crazy that they moved on from Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season to hire Norv freaking Turner)
I’ve always thought the same.
To put it in Dr Phil terms…….
How’s that Norv Turner thing working out for you AJ?
Girls use hair spray, Men don't.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GROW UP BY NOT USING HAIRSPRAY MALES!
Don't be a Paully!
by The Buffalo Kid on Feb 1, 2012 4:41 AM EST up reply actions
Has any NFL coach besides Marty?
Gotten fired after a 14 win season? I seriously can’t think of one.
That’s why I wanted the Bills to hire him instead of Chan.
Girls use hair spray, Men don't.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GROW UP BY NOT USING HAIRSPRAY MALES!
Don't be a Paully!
by The Buffalo Kid on Feb 1, 2012 4:47 AM EST up reply actions
My biggest problem is with the three years and done philosophy. Chuck Noll didn’t do well in his first three years (1-13, 5-9, 6-8). I don’t think anyone on here would say that he was a crummy coach. I think sometimes you need to give it some time. It is kind of like quarterbacks. Not everyone, and in this case not every team, is the same. Some teams can turn around relatively quickly. Some take a little bit longer to turn around for whatever reason.
Sign DeSean Jackson
I think this would be a horrible signing with Fitz at QB…..Fitz is too eratic with his throws to take advantage of his talent.
Vincent Jackson or drafting Michael Floyd would be much better choices in getting Fitz WR help.
Girls use hair spray, Men don't.
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GROW UP BY NOT USING HAIRSPRAY MALES!
Don't be a Paully!
Now if you want to argue that the Bills have waited long enough with losing coaches such as Jauron, I will point something out. Did the Bills ever get noticeably better from year to year at anything with Jauron as the coach? Not to my knowledge. We were good at certain things, like special teams, but we just stagnated like a puddle of putrid water. I can’t think of a single position that stands out to me as improving significantly under his tenure.
What happened b/n Desean Jackson and Philly? I must have missed that. Talent-wise, he’d look great in red, white and blue.
LT in the first round would be bold. Using the Pittsburgh model, it’s good to flip b/n offense and defense each year.
CB in the 2nd? Can’t get on board with that. We need LBs (Talley was a 2nd rounder!)
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